Keeping Up: Training, Professional Development, and the Fire Investigator's CV
Introducing the Origin 360 Training Tracker...
One of the things I've learned over the years is that fire investigation requires a pretty broad range of knowledge. We need to understand fire dynamics, building construction, electrical systems, chemistry, evidence collection, and a whole host of other subjects. And that's before we even get into the investigative process itself.
Nobody can be an expert in everything. But as fire investigators, we have a responsibility to maintain a working knowledge of the subjects that are relevant to our investigations and to continue developing that knowledge throughout our careers. That's where continuing education comes in.
Unfortunately, attending training and documenting training are two different things. Most of us have probably accumulated a collection of certificates from classes, conferences, seminars, and online courses over the years. Some are saved on our computers, some are buried in email inboxes, and others are probably sitting in a file cabinet somewhere.
When the time comes to update a CV, renew a certification, or document our qualifications for a particular case, finding all that information can turn into a project of its own. And that's a problem I wanted to address.
Why Continuing Education Matters
Fire investigation is a constantly evolving discipline. Our understanding of fire behavior has changed considerably over the past several decades, thanks in large part to research conducted by organizations such as NIST, UL's Fire Safety Research Institute, and others.
That research has challenged some long-held assumptions about fire patterns, ventilation, fire development, and the interpretation of physical evidence.
Investigative techniques that were commonly taught twenty or thirty years ago may no longer reflect our current understanding of fire science.
This is one reason continuing education is so important. Experience is valuable, but experience alone doesn't necessarily keep us current.
An investigator who has examined hundreds of fires may have considerable practical experience. But if that investigator hasn't kept up with developments in fire science, some of the conclusions they draw could be based on outdated information. Continuing education helps us bridge that gap between experience and current scientific knowledge.
NFPA 1033 and the Importance of a Broad Knowledge Base
For many years, NFPA 1033, Standard for Professional Qualifications for Fire Investigator, provided the framework for identifying the knowledge and skills expected of professional fire investigators. 1033 stipulates that investigators need to understand key subjects such as fire dynamics, thermodynamics, chemistry, building construction, electrical systems, fire protection systems, and other disciplines that may be relevant to determining the origin and cause of a fire.
Some of these subjects are closely related, but they aren't interchangeable.
For example, an investigator might have a good understanding of fire patterns but a relatively limited understanding of electrical systems. Another investigator might have considerable experience with vehicle fires but little formal education in fire dynamics.
Neither situation is necessarily unusual. We all have areas where our knowledge is stronger than others. The important thing is recognizing those limitations and making an effort to address them.
One of the best reasons to maintain a detailed training record is that it allows us to see where we've concentrated our professional development—and where we may have some gaps.
If we can look back over five or ten years of training and see that we've attended dozens of courses on fire patterns but very few on building construction or electrical systems, that tells us something useful. Instead of simply taking whatever courses happen to be available, we can make more informed decisions about our continuing education.
Your CV Should Be a Living Document
A curriculum vitae is more than a list of places you've worked and certifications you've earned. It's a record of your professional qualifications, education, experience, and development. For fire investigators, particularly those who may be called upon to provide expert testimony, an accurate and current CV is an important professional document. When an investigator offers an expert opinion in court, their qualifications may be examined. Their education, training, experience, and familiarity with the subject matter can all become relevant.
A well-maintained CV helps communicate those qualifications clearly.
But there's another reason I think investigators should keep their CVs current: it encourages us to take stock of our professional development.
What have I learned over the past year? What certifications have I maintained? What new subjects have I studied? Am I continuing to develop the knowledge and skills that I need to do my job effectively?
Those are worthwhile questions, regardless of whether you ever testify in court.
The trouble is that updating a CV can be tedious, particularly when you have years of training to sort through. And if you wait until somebody asks for your CV before updating it, you may find yourself spending an afternoon trying to reconstruct several years of continuing education.
Keeping Track of Training Shouldn't Be the Hard Part
A few years ago, I developed the Fire Investigator Personal Training Database as a Google Sheets workbook. The idea was pretty simple. I wanted a convenient way to record training, organize courses by knowledge area, track certification requirements, and generate reports that I could use to document my professional qualifications. I eventually made the workbook available for free through my FirePhotog blog, hoping other investigators might find it useful.
The spreadsheet worked well, but it had some limitations. One of the biggest challenges was managing certificates and other training documents. Although the workbook could link to files stored in Google Drive, organizing those files and creating the links still required quite a bit of manual work. And while Google Sheets is a powerful tool, it's not necessarily the most convenient interface for managing a large collection of training records.
So I decided to build something better.
Introducing the Origin 360 Training Tracker
The new Origin 360 Training Tracker is a Windows desktop application built around the same basic idea as the original workbook: make it easier for investigators to organize, evaluate, and document their professional development.
The application includes a Training Log, Professional Development Dashboard, Certification Tracker, Qualifications Report, and CV Generator. But the biggest improvements involve making the whole process easier.
Training records can be entered and edited through dedicated forms. Courses can be associated with relevant knowledge areas, allowing investigators to track the subjects they've studied and generate reports documenting their training.
Certificates and training materials can be stored directly with their training records. Instead of maintaining a separate collection of links, investigators can open their documents directly from the application.
One of my favorite features is the Batch Certificate Importer.
If you have a folder containing years of training certificates, the application can scan the files and suggest matches to courses already in your Training Log. You can review the matches, make corrections, and import multiple certificates at once.
For someone with a large backlog of training records, this can save a considerable amount of time.
The application also includes a CV Generator that uses your professional information, certifications, education, and training history to produce a customizable PDF curriculum vitae. Want to add your company logo? Your headshot? Want to customize your CV's color scheme? You can do all that in the app.
And because the database and documents are stored locally, you don't need an internet connection to use the application. A complete backup feature allows you to save your records and attached documents together.
Already Using the Google Sheets Version?
If you've been using the original workbook, you don't need to start from scratch.
The desktop application includes an Excel import feature that allows you to transfer your existing training records from Google Sheets. Once those records are imported, you can use the Batch Certificate Importer to organize and attach your existing certificates.
And if the original workbook meets your needs, that's fine too!
The Google Sheets version is still available for free at:
I plan to keep it available as a resource for investigators who prefer a spreadsheet or simply don't need the additional features of the desktop application.
The Bigger Picture
Ultimately, the purpose of this database isn't just to keep track of certificates.
It's to encourage investigators to take a more deliberate approach to professional development. Maintaining an organized training history makes it easier to identify gaps in our knowledge, plan future education, maintain certifications, and demonstrate our qualifications when necessary. More importantly, it encourages us to think about what we're learning and how that knowledge contributes to the quality of our investigations.
The conclusions we reach as fire investigators can have serious consequences. They may influence insurance decisions, civil litigation, criminal prosecutions, and the lives of the people involved. That responsibility demands more than simply relying on what we've learned in the past. It requires a commitment to staying current, recognizing the limits of our knowledge, and continually working to improve.
The Origin 360 Training Tracker is just a tool to help make that process a little easier.
I hope you find it useful.
Be well and be safe.
— Darren Winchester
Founder, Origin 360
Interested in trying the new database?
Visit the Origin 360 store to learn more about the Training Tracker desktop application.
Or download the original free Google Sheets version from FirePhotog.
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